Alumni, students, staff and the public will gather at the Pittsburgh Playhouse June 18 to bid the building a final farewell with a “Lights Out” celebration.

The celebration will be held for those who wish to say goodbye to the Pittsburgh Playhouse one last time before the lights are shut off for good at the end of the night. This will be the last chance for members of the public to say their farewells and will be the last public presence inside the old Playhouse location. Tickets will cost $25.

Festivities include an open mic with a provided accompanist, Playhouse memorabilia, snacks and beverages. The public, students and faculty are all welcome to attend.

After 85 years in Oakland, a new, six-story theater facility in Downtown Pittsburgh will open this fall. According to Ron Lindblom, artistic director of the Conservatory of the Performing Arts, this new edition coming to Downtown Pittsburgh will help many different types of students grow, and not just performers.

“Students would find the opportunity to work with professors, create products, become entrepreneurs and grow technically in this national artistic laboratory,”
Lindblom said.

Cassia Crogan, marketing and public relations coordinator of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, agreed that “this is going to be such an amazing facility, not just for theatre students, but for everyone.”

Crogan, while excited for the new facility’s features, is also encouraging everyone to reflect on memories of the old facility.

“This is a great opportunity for patrons and alumni to submit a Playhouse memory, because it’s nice to look back on old memories before this next chapter,” Crogan said, referring to the “Share Your Pittsburgh Playhouse Memories” page on the Playhouse website. The project allows anyone to submit a memory of the Pittsburgh Playhouse to be shared with others whom the Playhouse has touched.

Even students who have not yet gotten the chance to perform at the Playhouse understand the opportunity that a new facility would represent. Gracie Thompson, a sophomore dance major, has watched shows at the Playhouse and worked during the winter dance performance.

“I’m really excited for it,” Thompson said. “From what I can tell, the Playhouse is hard to get around because it’s so small, and it’ll be a privilege to be the first students to work there.”

While it may be bittersweet for some to see the Playhouse go after so many years, Lindblom explained the importance of having a new facility, citing that many parts of the old facility were still from the original infrastructure of the building in 1939, including the boiler.

“There’s going to be a Pittsburgh Playhouse for another 85 years,” Lindblom said.